•The disease is listed among the top 10 causes of outpatient visits countrywide
•The disease burden, however, remains the highest in counties In the Lake region
Image: /FILE
Kenya will on Tuesday join the rest of the world in marking World Malaria Day.
The national event which has been organized by the Ministry of Health through the Division of National Malaria Programme will be commemorated at Ekerenyo grounds in Nyamira county.
Health being a devolve function, similar events are expected to be organized across all the 47 counties.
The ministry in a statement said the day is important in the calendar of malaria control as it provides the country with an opportunity to reflect on the achievements and challenges of the past and chart the way for the future.
This year's World Malaria Day has been organised under the theme, "Time to deliver zero malaria: Invest, innovate, implement."
The theme underscores the urgent need for action and further investment to achieve zero malaria illness and deaths.
“The country has made progress against malaria through the implementation of several interventions targeted at various areas of the country,” the ministry said.
“Several counties have consistently recorded very low incidences of malaria. This provides an opportunity to implement malaria elimination in these counties.”
Each minute a child dies from malaria in the country and the disease remains a major public health problem in Kenya.
Due to altitude, rainfall patterns and temperature, it is estimated that about 70 per cent of the Kenyan population is at risk for malaria.
Besides being the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the country, the disease is listed among the top 10 causes of outpatient visits countrywide.
The disease burden, however, remains the highest in counties In the Lake region, accounting for 70 per cent of the cases nationally.